Power and Sample Size Calculations for Bayes Factors in two-arm clinical Phase II Trials with binary Endpoints

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Auteur principal: Kelter, Riko
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2026
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author Kelter, Riko
author_facet Kelter, Riko
contents Bayesian sample size calculations in clinical trials usually rely on complex Monte Carlo simulations in practice. Obtaining bounds on Bayesian notions of the false-positive rate and power often lack closed-form or approximate numerical solutions. In this paper, we focus on power and sample size calculations for Bayes factors in the two-arm binomial setting of phase II trials. We cover point-null versus composite and directional hypothesis tests, derive the corresponding Bayes factors, and discuss relevant aspects to consider when pursuing Bayesian design of experiments with the introduced approach. Based on these Bayes factors, we propose a numerical approach which allows to determine the necessary sample size to obtain prespecified bounds of Bayesian power and type-I-error rate in a computationally efficient way. Our method does not rely on Monte Carlo simulations and instead solely relies on standard numerical methods. Real-world examples of phase II trials from oncology and autoimmune diseases illustrate the advantage of the proposed calibration method. In summary, our approach allows for a Bayes-frequentist compromise by providing a Bayesian analogue to a frequentist power analysis for various Bayes factors in the two-arm binomial setting of a phase II clinical trial. The methods are implemented in our R package bfbin2arm.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_01715
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Power and Sample Size Calculations for Bayes Factors in two-arm clinical Phase II Trials with binary Endpoints
Kelter, Riko
Methodology
Applications
Bayesian sample size calculations in clinical trials usually rely on complex Monte Carlo simulations in practice. Obtaining bounds on Bayesian notions of the false-positive rate and power often lack closed-form or approximate numerical solutions. In this paper, we focus on power and sample size calculations for Bayes factors in the two-arm binomial setting of phase II trials. We cover point-null versus composite and directional hypothesis tests, derive the corresponding Bayes factors, and discuss relevant aspects to consider when pursuing Bayesian design of experiments with the introduced approach. Based on these Bayes factors, we propose a numerical approach which allows to determine the necessary sample size to obtain prespecified bounds of Bayesian power and type-I-error rate in a computationally efficient way. Our method does not rely on Monte Carlo simulations and instead solely relies on standard numerical methods. Real-world examples of phase II trials from oncology and autoimmune diseases illustrate the advantage of the proposed calibration method. In summary, our approach allows for a Bayes-frequentist compromise by providing a Bayesian analogue to a frequentist power analysis for various Bayes factors in the two-arm binomial setting of a phase II clinical trial. The methods are implemented in our R package bfbin2arm.
title Power and Sample Size Calculations for Bayes Factors in two-arm clinical Phase II Trials with binary Endpoints
topic Methodology
Applications
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01715